Why I love Portland

This is why I love Portland. Today my mom and I ventured to a brand new coffee shop around the corner from our house. When they handed us our lattes I couldn’t help but notice the heart, painted in the coffee foam. This is why I love Portland. When I was out to ice cream with a friend downtown the other night, we sat in the park and watched a clown make balloon hats for little kids, while an acapella group spontaneously performed for folks lounging under the trees. This is why I love Portland. When I walked past the bookstore earlier this week, I saw a homeless man hunched over a bright array of colored Starbucks lids as he carefully painted an elaborate “anything helps” sign complete with trees and a sunset. This is why I love Portland. Two weeks ago I met a friend on the east side for big bowls of mac and cheese from a favorite food cart. We huddled around our steaming bowls of cheesy elbows in the pouring rain–happy as clams. This is why I love Portland. Last weekend we found a lost dog on our trail run, which was running with another group of runners, before catching up with us, before circling back to catch up with another group and their dog, before finally finding it’s owner. This is why I love Portland. Yesterday, when I met a friend for coffee, I overheard a guy behind me say, “I don’t know, I can’t make any decisions until I have some caffeine.” This is why I love Portland. When we went out to dinner mid week, we were seated next to our next-door neighbors and ended up pushing our tables together. This is why I love Portland. When it was sunny and almost 85 degrees I heard someone at the store say, “I can’t stand this heat. What awful weather.” This is why I love Portland. Bikes outnumber cars. This is why I love Portland. 

When someone cuts you off on the freeway, chances are you know them. This is why I love Portland. When I need to be across town in 15 minutes, I always make it. This is why I love Portland. When I am walking on the sidewalk downtown, I typically have to step into the street to get around the bikes that are piled a mile high on the bike racks. This is why I love Portland. When I am buying something, there is no sales tax and so I don’t have to do any math. This is why I love Portland. When someone comes up to me on the street, they want me to vote, save the polar bears or adopt a sea otter. This is why I love Portland. Now it is summer and I can finally go out and pick up fresh veggies and big armfuls of flowers from the Saturday market. This is why I love Portland. When I get up early and head out for a run, I see Dave’s Killer Bread being delivered by Dave himself. This is why I love Portland. When it rains, no one carries an umbrella. This is why I love Portland. When I am grocery shopping I run into Nike coach and famed distance runner Alberto Salazar in the produce section. This is why I love Portland. When you stop at a drinking fountain, there is another fountain at your feet for your dog. This is why I love Portland. When the clouds clear on a perfect day, you can see the snow topped peaks of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Hood. This is why I love Portland. It is green for as far as the eye can see. This is why I love Portland. You can go to the beach and head up to the mountains in the same day. This is why I love Portland. And at any time–day or night–you can always find someone to share a cup. This is why I love Portland.

This cup is for all my Portland Peeps (who love this city as much as I do)